Protesters will be outside the library from from 4.30pm to 6pm, today, Wednesday, March 23 along with a bit of celebrity help.

Diane Setterfield, author of New York Times Best Seller The Thirteenth Tale, has committed to coming down this afternoon to support the protest.

She grew up in Theale and said: "When I was growing up and using libraries, Theale didn’t have a library so my dad used to take us up to Tilehurst and after I left I was really jealous [when Theale got one].

"I could have gone every day instead of once a week.

"I feel that in central government there is no thought to what closing libraries does for equality of opportunity.